Castello di Blonay
| Castello di Blonay | ||
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 Castello di Blonay with the village of Avise |
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| Alternative name (s): | Château de Blonay | |
| Creation time : | 12th Century | |
| Castle type : | Hilltop castle | |
| Conservation status: | restored | |
| Construction: | Quarry stone | |
| Place: | Advices | |
| Geographical location | 45 ° 42 '29.9 " N , 7 ° 8' 27.2" E | |
| Height: | 763 m | |
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The Castello di Blonay ( French : Château de Blonay ) is a medieval hilltop castle in the center of the village of Avise in the Aosta Valley at a height near the church of San Brizio . It is often confused with the Castello di Avise on the outskirts of this village. The third castle on site, outside the village, is called Castello di Cré . The Castello di Blonay is in good condition.
description
The secretary of the Duchy of Aosta Jean-Baptiste de Tillier describes the castle as follows in 1737; the description still applies today:
“If you drive on the road from Aosta to Morgex , you will see the old castle of Avise on your right, beyond Arvier , on a hill: it is the aristocratic residence of the old lords of this place. It consists of a large, square tower and an old structure that appears very spacious. "
The oldest part of the castle is the tower, on the free sides of which there are no loopholes or entrances today , even if it is certain that in the beginning there was only a building modeled on the simple castles of the Aosta Valley, whereas the south side is stereometric and less strict looking building is modeled in which some cross windows with stone frames show. The tower is dovetailed and its walls are thicker than those of the rest of the complex. This shows that there were several phases of construction and that the defense requirements of the complex changed.
history
After Jean-Baptiste de Tillier , the Castello di Blonay was the first residence of the D'Avise family , a noble family from the Aosta Valley who existed there as early as the 12th century. The tower and building of the castle do not date from the same period and did not always have the same owners: the tower was built in the 12th century and the rest of the castle was not built until the 15th century. The tower followed the events of the D'Avises for a long time , while the subsequent structure Prosper d'Avise , member of the Senate of Savoy, in 1645 his nephews, Claudio and Josué de Blonay , sons of Marie d'Avise and Jacques de Blonay , from the Chablais , inherited. Claude de Blonay was reinstated as heir after his mother's death between March 20 and 27, 1649, and the castle subsequently remained in the hands of the De Blonay family .
In the first half of the 18th century, Jean-Baptiste de Tillier reveals a situation of shared ownership that existed for a long time:
"[The Castello di Blonay] today belongs together to the Lords of Blonay and Avise, but the latter have another castle that is more modern and in a better location with its slate-roofed pavilion tower and is connected to the gardens, groves and other grounds."
François Gaspard d'Avise was the last heir to the family: according to the will of his father, Antoine-Balthazard d'Avise , dated February 6, 1677, he received half of the fief, while the deceased's sister, Claire-Marie d'Avise , together with her husband Charles-Joseph Bianco di San Secondo inherited the rest.
The tower served as a prison for a long time, so it was called the “prison tower”: in 1787, Philippe de Blonay claimed in a feudal declaration his exclusive right to detain criminals.
Zanotto states that he has been uninhabited since 1980.
View of the Castello di Blonay from the ruins of the Castello di Cré.
A window of the castle
Detail of the double window
Engraving by Gonin (1852)
Individual references and comments
- ^ A b Jean-Baptiste de Tillier: Historique de la Vallée d'Aoste . L. Mensio. Pp. 172-174. 1887 (1737). Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ↑ a b c d e André Zanotto: Castelli valdostani . Musumeci, Quart 2002 (1980). ISBN 88-7032-049-9 . P. 64.
- ↑ Zanotto gives the 15th century as the likely construction time.
- ^ Jean-Baptiste de Tillier: Historique de la Vallée d'Aoste . L. Mensio. P. 171, 1887 (1737). Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ↑ The other castle was the Castello di Avise on the edge of the village.
swell
- André Zanotto: Castelli valdostani . Musumeci, Quart 2002 (1980). ISBN 88-7032-049-9 .
- Jean-Baptiste de Tillier: Historique de la Vallée d'Aoste . L. Mensio. 1887 (1737). Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- Mauro Minola, Beppe Ronco: Valle d'Aosta. Castelli e fortificazioni . Macchione, Varese 2002. ISBN 88-8340-116-6 . P.56.
- Carlo Nigra: Torri e castelli e case forti del Piemonte dal 1000 al secolo XVI. La Valle d'Aosta . Musumeci, Quart 1974. pp. 90-91.
Web links
- Blonay Castle . Regione Valle d'Aosta. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- Castello di Blonay / Castello di Avise . Archived from the original on June 27, 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2020.